1. Don’t Breathe (Sony/Screen Gems, 3051 Theaters, 88 Minutes, Rated R for terror, violence, disturbing content, and language including sexual references, Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer at press time: 91% Fresh [75 Reviews]): Don’t you hate it when this happens? You find the perfect target for a robbery–a blind man’s house. Easy in, take what you want, easy out. But it just so happens that the blind man is a serial killer and instead of preying on him, he starts preying on you. I hate it when that happens.
There is something to be said about horror and/or suspense films where the victims aren’t always the best kind of people. Watching a psycho attack innocent people is one thing, but if the people getting killed deserve it, well, you can feel better rooting for the killer.
This is the latest from Fede Alvarez, the person who directed the rather acceptable Evil Dead remake. Early reviews were positive. If they keep up, Avarez might become the next big name in horror.
2. Mechanic: Resurrection (Lionsgate/Summit, 2,258 Theaters, 99 Minutes, Rated R for violence throughout and language, Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer at press time: N/A Fresh [0 Reviews]): Arthur Bishop (Jason Stratham) has retired from the assassination business. But when you are as good at your job as Bishop is, people do not want to let you stay retired. When a bad man wants Bishop to kill three of his enemies, nothing is off the table, not even kidnapping Bishop’s lady love.
Now forced to come out of retirement, Bishop takes on the job, all the while planning how he is going make his employer pay for putting his lady in danger.
Stratham is the most preeminent action star today. The first film was a modest success, which makes this film the rare sequel to a remake.
3. Hands of Stone (The Weinstein Company, 810 Theaters, 105 Minutes, Rated R for language throughout and some sexuality/nudity, Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer at press time: 42% Fresh [49 Reviews]): When you think of Roberto Duran, you think of “No Mas.” You think of him giving up during a fight with Sugar Ray Leonard. So many people’s impression of Duran is not a positive one.
But Duran is just a famous quitter. He had a long an interesting life, starting boxing professionally at the age of 16, was a 12-year ring veteran at the time of the “No Mas” fight, and would go on to fight for another 22 years after it.
So, Roberto Duran might be the ideal subject for a biopic. He is famous and well-known, but there is a lot to learn behind what the public things they know about him.
